Howl
by Nitroid
Summary: Some say the boy who cried wolf went missing in the forest because of his lies, while others insist he ran away to spread his false tales in another village. But most say the boy was caught and killed by the Wolf himself. The latter is only partial to the truth. AU, Stark/Ichigo, medieval themes with a slight twist.
1. Chapter 1

A tale about Stark, the lone wolf, and Ichigo, the boy who tried to warn everyone, but failed.

Enjoy!

x

Karakura was dumb.

On a more honest note, Karakura was really dumb.

Ichigo intended to rectify that, attempted, and failed repeatedly.

He was dubbed the Boy Who Cried Wolf scornfully, and some say he went missing in the forest because of his lies, while others insist he ran away to spread his false tales in another village. But most say the boy was caught and killed by the Wolf himself.

Needless to say, all excuses were wrong.

Ichigo was very much alive.

It all started out on a day like every other . . .

"Take the sheep out into the pasture." Ichigo's neighbour, Urahara, spared him a smile before turning and heading into his hut. "You can lead them as far as the spot where the valley meets the mountains, then bring them back at sundown."

Ichigo nodded, and reached for his shepherd's stick, which was leaning in a corner of the shed. "Sure thing, Urahara-san."

"And one more thing, Kurosaki-kun." Urahara stood in the doorway of his hut, green and white striped hat shielding his eyes from the glare of the morning sun.

Ichigo turned around obediently, eyebrows raised in a quizzical manner.

"It'll do you well to keep from warning the villagers about the Wolf."

Narrowing his eyes, the orange haired youth squared his shoulders and clenched his fists. "The Wolf exists and you know it!"

Urahara held up one hand in a gesture of quiet agreement. "No denying that, Kurosaki-kun. The problem with the others is that they don't hold an ounce of trust with your words. Best bite your tongue if you want to keep your place in this village."

Ichigo was seething, but his anger wasn't directed at Urahara. The blond man took care of him well enough since his family's downfall with the ancient village chief, Yamamoto-Taichou. The villagers of Karakura were stupid, point blank.

It sucked.

Big time.

Bigger than big time.

Still, he had to be careful. For the sake of his baby sisters and his father. And that enormous portrait of his deceased mother, leaning against one wall of their modest house, taking up most of the available walking space.

Ichigo heaved a sigh.

"Sure, Urahara-san."

He received a pat on his head, which made him feel like a little boy again. Smiling to himself, Ichigo slid the tattered brown hood of his cape over his head and tugged open the gate to let the sheep step out of their pen.

x

The sheep were baa'ing, and some were loping away in short, bouncy strides, covering ground as they hurried away from whatever it was that spooked them. Ichigo scrambled to his feet, making haste to yank on his leather boots as he leaned on his shepherd's staff. It was probably only a small fox or a badger; the sheep were silly and easy to scare, but Ichigo wasn't taking any chances, especially not when they all belonged to his neighbour. Well, his father, too, but the sheep were business. They were the Kurosaki family income, and their fleece put food on the table when the time came for marketing them.

"I really need a dog." Ichigo bemoaned the fact that the other neighbor's boy had three dogs, all mongrels who were excellent at chasing things like ferrets and pesky rabbits.

He stomped over to the spot where the sheep seemed the most agitated and sighed when he saw the cause. There was a white rabbit stuck under the wood fence. One of the slabs must have hit it when it loosened from the screws at the ends. No telling how long the poor little animal had been there, instant chow for any predator on the move. When one of the sheep had nosed its way over in the hopes of finding a sweet patch of grass, the rabbit must have moved and startled it.

Ichigo knelt on one knee and reached out with his hands. He could tell the rabbit was frightened to the point of keeping stock still, as if frozen to the spot. He whispered in a low voice, in the hopes that it would help calm the animal. Gently, he eased one hand under the wooden slab and used the other to curl around the rabbit's lower body. He lifted the piece of wood – it wasn't all that heavy, just damp with last night's rain, and so was the rabbit's fur – and found that there was a reddish black seeping from the rabbit's front paws. It must have tried scrabbling in order to escape the whole time it was stuck.

"You poor thing." Ichigo lifted it free from the wood and brushed away some dirt and grass from its fur. "You're no bigger than a little cat, aren't you?"

The rabbit waffled its nose at him, pink rimmed eyes staring at him in frozen fear. Even if he let it free right now, it probably wouldn't be able to move very much on paws that must hurt terribly. Ichigo ran a hand over its belly.

"You must be hungry and cold, you little darling." The teenager walked over to his satchel, where he unwrapped an old cloak and tore the hem. "Here, let me wrap those wounds for you."

Its back paws waved feebly as Ichigo drew the rags around its front paws, tying a small, firm knot over both tiny feet. He brushed some more dirt that was encrusted on the rabbit's underbelly away and brought it close to his face for a kiss to its nose.

"You'll be alright." He told it, setting it down on his satchel gently, so as not to frighten it. "I could bring you home, give you some cabbage and carrots, if you'd like."

The rabbit sniffed at his hands, the satchel and its paws curiously. It was probably debating between judging Ichigo as a friend or foe. The teen ran a hand through his bright orange spikes and smiled.

Not too far away, the real cause of alarm for the sheep lurked unnoticed, crouched behind a thick bunch of tall waving grass. Steel gray eyes watched its prey as they moved and made sheep noises. The other prey, the human who wore strange pieces of fur that did not seem quite like fur, more like an extra layer of skin, was slow moving. Of course, he moved quicker than the sheep did, but he would not be a match for a true carnivore's speed. The wolf wondered about the human's sense of smell, and sought out his scent through the wind blowing from the human's general direction.

So there was a boy.

He looked young.

In every wolf's mind lay three aspects; suspicion, patience and the will to kill on the first strike. These were the absolute keys to survival. The wolf lying in wait was by no means a young, green pup. He had many years of experience, tried and tested through valuable lessons in his carnivorous life. He knew when to be patient, when to wait and watch so he could learn; he could differentiate the times that needed immediate attacking from the ones that preferred him bide his time.

This prey was no different.

The boy had intervened with his morning meal. No doubt he hadn't had to hunt it down; the rabbit had already been caught, stuck under the thick slab of wood from the rickety, low fence that surrounded the green, grassy pasture. The wolf watched with alert gray eyes, noting the smooth movements of the boy, smelling the air warily for any signs of danger.

The boy was sitting on a patch of grass, cooing and making human noises to the rabbit.

The wolf got up slowly and stretched, keeping care to remain hidden behind the grass.

Never mind. He would come back later. There would always be other prey to catch.

Over inside the pasture, Ichigo looked up in the direction of rustling grass beyond the wooden fencing. He thought he'd heard a low growl of . . . well, something. It could've been the wind, playing tricks on his ears. Or maybe it had just been his imagination.

x

Urahara was in his hut, stirring something in a pot while reading a thin book. He looked up as Ichigo knocked lightly on his wooden door and awarded the boy with a smile.

"You're in early this evening. Any sightings of the mysterious wolf?"

Ichigo bit back a sharp retort and forced a smile on his face. "You know it exists, Urahara-san. I didn't see it today; it doesn't appear all the time. But when it does, it's really huge."

The blond tilted his strange green and white striped hat back a little so he could peer at Ichigo better, thought the teen suspected it was just so he could raise his eyebrows at him.

"You know, some people do say the folk tale about the wolf hunting down our livestock is true."

Honey brown eyes widened a fraction of a second as Ichigo felt a short burst of elation. "So you do believe me, right?"

Placing his book on the nearby table, Urahara wiped his hands on his robes before reaching for the cupboard above the stove.

"I do believe it exists, Ichigo. I just don't know if it really is the one in the folk tales."

What was the difference?

"A wolf is a wolf." Ichigo tried not to pout. "I mean, they're a danger and everything. Just because you don't see them doing the killing doesn't mean they're any less dangerous."

"They generally avoid humans." Urahara gave the boy a soft smile, gesturing to the table, where two bowls had already been set out on the ready.

Ichigo slid respectfully into a chair and dipped his hands in a small basin filled with water before him. "Thank you for the food, Urahara-san."

They said their prayers silently before eating the chicken and bamboo shoots rice porridge. This was their daily ritual, Urahara tending to the poultry and other livestock, while Ichigo guarded the sheep. They would have dinner together, and then Ichigo would head on home to his family. His father, one of the village doctors, would be working late into the night with his patients at the local village hall. His twin sisters would be at school, and then they would come back in the afternoon to do their homework and such.

"Do you think I should get a dog, Urahara-san?" Ichigo asked as he held out his bowl politely for more. "For the trek up the mountain, that is."

Every year, there would be at least five cases of sheep going missing up in the mountainous area of Karakura village. And every year since he was twelve, Ichigo would head up on a search for his missing sheep.

Spooning some porridge from the pot, the blond man turned around with a quizzical smile. "They're great company, as far as I can tell. You should ask Komamura-san if he has any puppies to spare you."

A dog.

Ichigo pondered over the welcome idea of having a panting, four-legged companion by his side.

He entertained himself with happy thoughts as he walked back home.

x

"Look, it's that boy."

"Which one?"

"_That_ one."

Jeering laughter reached Ichigo's ears as he walked over to the large well located in the middle of the village, swinging his bucket as he hummed his favourite song.

"The one that cries wolf?"

"Yeah. He'll stop crying soon when we kill it on the hunt tomorrow."

"Hear that, Kurosaki? We're gonna hunt down your make-believe wolf and have his head up here on this stick."

One of the local village boys laughed, jabbing his finger at the tall slab of wood dug into the ground, its pointy tip jagged and worn from many years of disuse. It leaned slightly over the well, a piece of rope tied around it with a small bucket attached to it.

"You'll be contaminating the water if you do that." Ichigo said quietly, ignoring their mocking jeers as best he could.

He'd seen the wolf, more than twice. It was more than just a few times to call it make-believe, and yet whenever he tried to warn the other villagers, all he would receive as a response was 'you're too old to be making up such stories, boy' or a 'that story again, don't come round here spewing those lies'. It had been a year since he'd saw the wolf last. The stories about his lies had spread so far, and gradually became part of the village joke. Ichigo had turned away, shamefaced and sorry he'd ever worried so much about the safety of Karakura and its livestock. All he'd gotten were leers and distrust.

He hoped he would see the mysterious wolf again, somehow. Just so he could really believe in himself once more.

"You're good at stories, huh?"

"Maybe you should tell us one."

"What's your latest story on the wolf? Maybe it heard all your lies about it and ran off to another village."

"Better watch out for those sheep, Orange. I hear they don't like hearing the word 'wolf' around no more."

"Yeah, you might just scare the fleece offa them."

More jeering laughter.

Their words were lame, but they still hit hard enough to leave a shallow scar.

"Get outta here, numb nuts." A familiar voice said, accompanied by a thick boot colliding with one of the boys' back. "All your gas is polluting up the village water."

If there were any grumbling, they were quickly silenced by a well aimed glare that could send shivers down one's spine. Tatsuki blew her bangs out of her eyes and shot a grin at Ichigo.

"How's you doin'?"

"Fine, thank you." Ichigo chuckled as he gave his friend a mock curtsey. "And yourself, Sir Knight?"

"Just polishing my armour, thanks very much." Tatsuki winked at him as she reached for the bucket strapped to her waist. "Say, Ichigo. Seen the wolf lately?"

Tatsuki was one of the few who really believed him about the wolf. Ichigo shrugged at her and smiled.

"Haven't yet so far. I was thinking about getting a dog from Komamura-san uphill. I could use the company with the sheep herding."

His friend ran a hand through her choppy black hair. "Great, that'll be cool. Listen. Six of Unohana-san's chickens went missing last week. You don't suppose . . .?"

She trailed off, waggling her eyebrows at him. Ichigo helped her tug her bucket up from the well as he contemplated the possibilities of missing fowl.

"It could just be a pesky fox." He shrugged one shoulder. "Or it could be the wolf, I don't really know. I just haven't seen it around much for a long while. Maybe it travelled elsewhere, you know?"

Tatsuki heaved her bucket up and grimaced as a little water sloshed onto her cowhide boots. "Sure, I guess. Well, I gotta get going now. My old man's been nattering on about eating my cooking. Hey, you'll let me know if you do see the wolf, yeah."

Ichigo gave her a salute. "I will. See you around, Tatsuki."

He watched her swagger away uphill, sloshing more water out of her bucket as she swung her arms in stride.

x

Gray eyes stared as Ichigo climbed over the wooden fence, gloved hands gripping the slabs as the teenager lifted his legs carefully.

"Stay." He told the medium sized dog romping in the grass within the barricades. "Be a good girl, Aki."

The dog barked once, leaping up on its short legs in an effort to reach her master. Ichigo leaned over to pat her on the head and tap her nose once.

"Take care of the sheep for me. I won't be gone long."

He turned around and walked down the short hilly bank, leather boots slipping and sliding on the wet grass. Ichigo hummed a light tune as he went, keeping to the left side of the hill, where there were less rocks and patches of weed to block his path. He trudged into the woods with a carefree whistle, leaning down to grab a long stick, which he thumped against the trees as he went.

Today was a great day.

It was his birthday.

Ichigo skipped over a small gurgling stream and laughed as he landed in a pile of love grass. When he lifted his boots, the seeds stuck to them like little white moths. He bent down to brush them off. As he brushed hair from his eyes, he thought he saw movement in the sparse shrubbery on his lower right. It looked like a vague silhouette of a very large dog.

The orange haired teen's heartbeat quickened by several paces.

Was that the wolf?

Or maybe it was just Aki, who had somehow scaled the fence in hopes of finding Ichigo. The teen swallowed his fears, which had become a tightening lump in his throat. It wasn't winter yet; the weather was still quite summery and there were a few more months till autumn fell.

Ichigo steeled up his courage and took a step toward the bushes. The trees hid the rays of sunlight from them, so they were only waist-high and not as dense as the rest spread out in the clearing. He could only just make out a slim black shape, still and unmoving as he neared.

He waited with bated breath, fingers gripping the thin stick as he stared at the shrubs with growing trepidation.

A harsh cry from a hawk above startled him. Ichigo jumped and felt insanely silly for being so scared. No wolf would show itself in broad daylight, especially not so close to human dwelling. He was just being an absolute donkey, scaring himself like this.

Raising the stick, he threw it into the bushes with a short yell.

There was no yelp to indicate the type of animal, just a scrabbling of paws and a sharp exhale of breath. Ichigo's eyes widened. He'd hurt something! And it was completely unintentional, just an act of embarrassed stupidity.

The wolf hadn't been expecting the flying stick. He'd felt his hackles rise when it came flying into his peripheral vision, but hadn't the time to duck before it hit home. It hadn't been a very painful collision, though, just a slight graze against his haunches.

And now the boy was coming toward him.

"Sorry!" Ichigo hissed as his fingers met thorns on a particularly thick stem. "I – I didn't mean to."

What kind of human was he, apologizing to animals? The wolf slunk downward, slitting his eyes so as not to catch the dim light through the leafy foliage of his hiding place. The boy smelled curious, like milk and berries and a hint of sheep.

"And on my birthday, too. Damn." Ichigo yanked his hands back and studied his newly acquired grazes. "Anyway, whatever you were, sorry."

Did he really care so much about animals? The wolf stood up, watching as the boy turned around to head for the stream, probably to wash his cuts. If the wolf had been a raccoon or a ferret, would the boy care any less? He'd seen the little animals strung up to dry in the morning sun at the village, most likely caught for their fur.

Raccoon meat was tough and didn't taste so good, but ferrets were succulent and juicy. The wolf licked his chops as he studied the back of the young boy, contemplating his next move. Would the youth treat him just as kindly as he would his newly acquired dog?

Aki, he'd called it.

The wolf heaved a yawn. It was just a little sleepy; used to being on the prowl at night.

Ichigo was standing up now, drying his hands on his leather jerkin. The ends of his hair dripped water onto his cheeks and shoulders; it was likely he'd washed his face as well.

The boy was beautiful.

The wolf could see that, especially when the sunlight hit the youth's face at all the right angles. His skin shone with a light, healthy tan, and his hair framed his pointy face nicely. His shoulders were broad – not too broad, but enough to be called masculine – and he had long, lanky legs that ended with well-fitting dark brown boots. Gray eyes kept flitting back up to study the boy's hair. It wasn't brown, nor was it auburn, more of an orange shade. A unique color. It called for attention.

He followed the boy as he walked, no longer whistling or humming snitches of a song the wolf was accustomed to hearing each day as the youth worked the pastures. Had the mere action of throwing a stick at an animal he did not even know turn his mood sour?

Honey brown eyes were masked, hidden beneath a scowl as Ichigo made his way to his favourite spot in the woods – a grassy mound that had a small bit of flat rock on the top, wide enough for one person to rest on. He ignored the rock, choosing instead to flop onto the mound and spread his limbs out wide.

"When will they ever stop teasing?" Ichigo mumbled. "It happened two years ago. I was stupid. The wolf clearly doesn't exist."

At the mention of his species, the wolf perked its ears up. The boy was talking about him.

"– Already been two years, and they never let me forget it, do they." Ichigo sighed, running one hand over his face.

It wasn't just the teasing he'd gotten the day before. It was the looks and the snickers he would get whenever he walked through the marketplace in the village. The smirks, the whispers – they all hurt. Despite having graduated from school, he was still the laughingstock of the village. And it hurt, because he knew that what he'd seen had been true.

"Anyway, happy birthday to me."

He stayed there on the mound, chest heaving up and down in a rapid act of breathing.

Every so often the boy would let out a small keening sound, like he was being hurt. The boy was crying. Sitting on his stomach, hidden in the dark shadows of the trees, the wolf watched him with the same expression he always did.

x

It was dark.

Shit.

He'd fallen asleep after that crying session and now he could barely see what was in front of him. It wouldn't be good to wait for the moon to come out and light the way; the woods were dangerous at night, and this was the time when all the nocturnal animals came out to prowl. Besides, he'd left the sheep in the pasture with Aki. He should have had brought them home an hour ago.

"I'm dead meat." Ichigo scrabbled for footing as he slid off the mound, fingers grazing rough rock and patches of earth as he got to his feet. "Fucking hell. Why today, of all days?"

He'd hoped for one day to have time to himself, be alone and spend his birthday reminiscing about things – not stroll into the woods and fall asleep like a total idiot. If he didn't bring those sheep home tonight, worse things would happen.

Things that spelled bad, like bears.

And maybe that wolf, though Ichigo had already lost all hope in it returning – not that he really wanted it to.

"Gods!" Ichigo rushed forward, stumbling over roots of trees that threatened to trip him. "I'm such an idiot!"

"Not really."

"Are you kidding? I'm so dead!"

Then he stopped and stumbled, landing hard on his hands and knees, scraping them through his gloves and trousers on hard rocky ground.

"W-Who's there?"

Stories about ghosts and spirits wormed their way into his mind. Ichigo swallowed a breath of air and coughed.

"Not a who, more of a what."

The voice was deep and gravelly, with a hint of husky growl, like a sort of animal that sounded human. Ichigo could feel his heart racing, thumping hard against his ribcage.

"W-What, then?"

"Your kind would call me a wolf."

Ichigo's eyes bugged. "Stop joking. You're one of those guys from the village, aren't you? Keigo, if it's you, I'm going to kill you when we get back. I'm dead serious."

Something – or someone – stepped onto the ground inches before his face. A hand reached down and grasped the back of his jerkin. Ichigo gasped as he was yanked to his feet, hands pushing outward for balance. In his effort to stand, he stumbled and pitched forward, getting a face full of the being's warm chest.

It was covered with coarse fur.

Like how a wolf's would feel.

Not that he'd ever felt a wolf, but this coat of fur didn't feel very dog-like, either.

Ichigo could feel his blood run cold.

"I can take you home, if you like."

Ichigo couldn't trust himself to speak. His limbs were frozen, and he felt like ice.

"I'm dead serious too, for that count."

Of all the stupid things to do, Ichigo's body decided it felt like fainting.

x

I restocked my shelf of chocolate Pocky in my pantry today. I feel so accomplished.


	2. Chapter 2

Honey brown eyes blinked open blearily, a mixture of the day's happenings befuddled with sleep rousing the youth from slumber. It was still dark. What had happened? He remembered walking in the woods and then he'd fallen asleep.

Something about sheep.

And then what?

Oh, no.

No frigging way!

He looked outside, where the sky was a dark purplish gray. A bright white moon shone majestically high above. Ichigo swallowed. He'd totally forgotten about the sheep! If the moon was already this high, that meant it was late into the night. And night brought not so good things, especially not to herbivores still roaming out in a corralled pasture, where the wild could sneak in if and when they pleased.

Scratch the sheep! Where the hell was he?

It was so dark where he was sitting, covered in something warm and soft and musky smelling. It was nice. But the dark wasn't. Ichigo felt around the ground he was on and frowned. This floor didn't seem like the earthy mound he remembered falling asleep on earlier.

He'd met the wolf. The rush of memory flooding his mind shook him. Panic reared its ugly head as the youth scrambled to his feet, wincing as the top of his head collided with something hard. Ichigo put his hand up and felt around tentatively. It felt like rock.

He was in a cave.

Who had put him in there? Was it the wolf? Ichigo hastily checked his body for any missing limbs.

"I haven't had the liberty of tasting you yet, don't worry."

At the sound of the husky voice, Ichigo jumped a mile. His frightened chocolate eyes landed on the wolf's silhouette, which blocked the moonlight streaming in from the only entrance and exit of the cave. The light shone on the large body of fur, illuminating the wolf's lithe, majestic frame. Ichigo swallowed audibly.

"You . . . you just talked."

In response, the wolf tilted its head to the left intelligently. "I just did, yes."

"T - To me." Ichigo felt his knees grow weak, and dropped to the ground beneath him slowly. "Am I dreaming?"

"You tell me."

The youth rubbed at his face with both hands, pinching the skin on the back of one hand to test his pain receptors. It hurt.

"Are you afraid?"

The husky voice sounded a whole lot closer than before. The wolf was near, close enough to make Ichigo's heart do a dance of fear in his ribcage, but not close enough to touch.

"I . . . yes."

The wolf dropped something on the ground and nosed it toward him. "I brought dinner."

Ichigo stayed frozen, scared stiff and inhaling deep gulps of air nervously. He was actually conversing with a wolf, which was huge up close. Huge body meant huge teeth, and possibly a huge appetite to boot. He was certain he was about to wet his pants.

"When you said . . ." Ichigo trailed off as his voice cracked. He steeled a little more courage up before continuing. "You didn't taste me yet . . . Are you going to?"

The wolf seemed to smile, jaws gaping as it panted. Ichigo couldn't see its front much, just and illuminated outline of its body, which made it all the worse.

"Do you want me to?"

Ichigo felt his hair stand as the wolf spoke in a lower, huskier tone, sending tingles running up and down his spine.

"Um . . . I'd rather you not, please."

"I think you'll enjoy it." The wolf pressed closer slowly, as if stalking him. "I promise not to use any teeth."

Ichigo backed further away into the cave, heart hammering a drumming beat in his chest. "Please don't do this."

The wolf stopped, tilting its head again as if considering. "Are you hungry?"

The youth blinked down at the lump of something between his boots. It was giving off a dead sort of smell, accompanied by a strong stench of blood and rawness. The wolf had brought him fresh kill - food he would consent to consume if cooked. Ichigo was hungry, but the thought of sinking his teeth into raw meat made his stomach churn. Still, the wolf had asked him a simple question.

"I am."

"You're honest. I like that."

"What is it?" Ichigo jerked his chin at the lump of meat.

"A rabbit." The wolf sat on its haunches, and although it was pitch black Ichigo could tell it was watching him. "Are you going to eat it?"

"N-Not when it's raw." Ichigo fought to keep the stammer from his voice. "Wait, rabbit? Did this one have two hurt front paws?"

"It did. A little too easy for hunting, but it's food all the same."

Damn.

He'd only just released the darling white rabbit this morning.

The wolf yawned again, jaws opening in a wide gape. Ichigo could see rows and rows of shiny white teeth. He clenched and unclenched his fingers on the soft, warm blanket that covered him previously. He wasn't as terrified as before, but he was still afraid.

"If you're not eating it, may I?"

The wolf slunk closer, bushy white tail swaying from side to side. Ichigo nodded and cleared his throat before speaking.

"Please do."

At first all he wanted to do was run away to someplace safe, but now he was sort of warming up to the wolf. It was nuts. He was talking to a wolf that could talk. It felt like a total dream, but the youth could tell this was as real as the pinch he'd given himself earlier.

"I'll eat this outside, since I assume the scent of fresh kill turns you off."

What a polite guy. Ichigo found a small smile playing at the corners of his lips.

"Thank you, that's really nice of you."

Here he was, sitting in a cave exchanging polite talk with a carnivore, who could very well decide to make him its next meal. Ichigo felt a strange sense of calm as the wolf picked up the lump of meat and loped side with an easy gait. The youth decided to crawl out after it, but not before picking up the large blanket and wrapping it around his shoulders. It smelled divine, like warm earthy musk. Once outside, he stood up to full height and surveyed his surroundings. With a gasp, the teen came to a sudden realization that hit him like an epic slap to the cheek. He was on the mountain!

Which obviously explained the cave, though he had no idea why he hadn't come to this conclusion earlier. Karakura village and all its bright torches looked like pinpricks in the vast stretch of valley below.

"Y - You said you'd take me home when we were in the woods!" Ichigo's voice came out surprised and accusing.

There was no sign of the wolf, but Ichigo heard him speak.

"I never said I would bring you to yours."

True.

It would take him a day at least to navigate down the mountain and make his way home to the village. Something flashed in his memory, a hand reaching out to grab his jerkin, pulling him upright. That was before he'd blacked out like a total fool. That hand had definitely seemed human-like, but with his previously befuddled mind, there was no telling what it had actually been. He studied the wolfs large paws as it padded over to him, silently.

"Were you a man, earlier? How did you bring me up here?"

"I have my ways." The wolf grinned.

It wasn't a pleasant grin, but it wasn't exactly an unpleasant one, either. Ichigo had mixed feelings about the wolf.

"Are you going to eat me?"

He had to ask that question. It was annoying the hair off of his head. If possible, the wolf's grin grew bigger. Out in the moonlight, its fur shone a brilliant whitish gray, tapering down his body till his tail, which was a lovely grayish black at the tip.

"Well, you _are_ good enough to eat."

The wolf had a lovely voice. Rich, low and matured in a deep and masculine way. He sounded like chocolate malt running down a porcelain cup. Ichigo proceeded to tell him so. The wolf regarded him with a panting smile, steel gray eyes glinting every which way his head tilted as the moonlight was reflected.

"Was that a ruse to not make me eat you?"

Ichigo broke out into a smile. This wolf was a natural at humor. It was crazy and wonderfully amazing in its own way. Ichigo tried to clear his mind of tangled thoughts.

"I haven't the foggiest."

"Clearly you're at a loss for words at the moment. It must be my overwhelming presence. Is my smile bothering you?"

The wolf was smiling rather wolfishly. As wolfish as wolves could smile, that is. Ichigo felt a mixture of amused fascination and horror with the way the neat rows of sharp, sharp teeth gleamed and glinted in the light from the moon. His feet brought him a step closer before his brain registered his movements. And when he'd finally realized what his actions were bringing him closer to, it was a bit late to back out.

Long, slender fingers threaded through the fur on the wolf's head. Liquid silver eyes watched the youth warily as Ichigo slowly got down on his knees, facing the beast's shaggy face. The wolf allowed Ichigo to run his fingers through his coarse fur, and lowered his eyelids when the youth used his blunt nails to scratch at the underside of his fur, feeling the downy softness beneath the coarse exterior.

"You're so warm." Ichigo breathed, spreading his hands out in a loving embrace as he mindlessly brought himself closer to the wolf.

"Then you must be cold."

"I am."

"Even under the coat?"

Ichigo answered with a happy smile.

Being this close to the wolf, sharing its nearness, invading its personal space - though whether it minded or not was an entirely different story - was exhilarating, breath-taking and mind-numbing in countless ways. Ichigo turned his face to the side and pressed his cheek to the wolf's fur. The majestic beast was saying something, but Ichigo's brain wasn't processing anything aside from the rich bass of his voice and the way his furry - yet firm and toned - chest rumbled along with his lovely voice.

"Whose coat am I wearing?"

"Mine." The wolf leaned down and lipped at his hair.

Feeling the warm breath blowing his hair on his head, Ichigo chuckled. "I don't know any wolves who wear coats."

"You do now."

Ichigo buried his face into more fur. He wanted to stay like this forever, freeze time for everything save the wolf and himself, and continue rubbing his cheek into the soft, warm fur that was so inviting. He'd barely gotten over the reality that he could converse with wolves - even if it was just this wolf, it didn't matter. Ichigo was feeling a joyous burst of happiness and calm he could barely contain his emotions. Part of him wanted to jump and sing and dance, while the other part kept him anchored to a wave of tranquility that kept washing over him in repeated, gentle rolls.

The wolf was saying something.

"You're the boy. _That_ boy."

Ichigo was used to those words being shot out like bullets that went straight to his heart by the other village kids, but when the wolf said them, it wasn't judgmental or accusing or jeering. It was merely said as it was.

"You know about me."

His words came out exactly as he meant them to; flat, knowing, expectant. Not a question, more of a statement.

"I do." The wolf nuzzled at his neck, cold wet nose bringing up gooseflesh on his skin.

Ichigo held his breath, afraid to say anything because he didn't want to ruin this moment of knowing, sharing, speaking. It felt like he was spilling his deepest, darkest secret. And in a way, it was.

"You're the boy who calls for me."

x

Urahara was tidying up in his shed, tucking unused saddles away on their nails and packing boxes on top of each other to save walking space around the narrow area. There was a whinny from the stables as his horses communicated over a large trough of wheat and barleycorn.

"Kisuke."

There had been no knock, no stomp of boots on the hard ground in the entrance, but there was a figure at the door, blocking out what was left of the waning moonlight. Urahara ran a hand through his hair and turned around, eyes searching the other man's warily.

"He's not here, Isshin."

Ichigo hadn't come home from the morning's chore – bringing the sheep up to the grazing pasture and then back at sundown. The sheep were still at the corral when Urahara had gone up to find him. He'd brought them back without Ichigo, and had then walked over to the Kurosaki household to ask for the youth and return his excited little dog, Ari. Isshin had been surprised and concerned, but he'd tried to act nonchalant for the sake of his daughters. Urahara could understand the need to keep the young children in a calm state, what with all the kids and livestock going missing since rumors of a band of gypsies camping in the woods flew around in rampant freedom. Word travelled fast around the village. Karakura was the poster child for gossip mongering.

"Where do you think he would have gone?" Tone of voice bordering on accusatory, Isshin looked gruff with worry, the lines hardening his facial features even more.

"If I knew, I would tell you." Urahara said quietly, his words without venom.

He understood the parent before him. Boys Ichigo's age rarely went missing for long – they always turned up dead in the woods beyond the village, further into the mountainous area. And they were always, always left with their eyes intact for some ungodly reason - even the flesh-eating birds stayed away from their eyeballs. Blank, accusing stares that was left for the fraught-with-worry parents; shocked mothers, depressed fathers.

This was the secret of Karakura Village.

Urahara walked over and placed a hand on Isshin's shoulder. He gave the man a light squeeze. This was no time for dredging up folk tales. This was no time for sorrow, either. Anxious concern took place in every weather hardened line on Isshin's face. It was clear that the man had nothing else to lead him on. Ichigo wasn't the sort to just vanish without informing anyone where he was going. Since the bullying and taunting had begun as a result of the youth's cries about the mysterious wolf, Ichigo hadn't really been the same. Despite all this occurring over a year ago, the teen hadn't really been allowed to forget about the incident, thanks to immature villagers - mostly teens Ichigo's age - who just couldn't let it rest.

"We'll send out some search parties." Urahara reached for his white and green striped hat. "Ready some lanterns and climbing equipment. I have a feeling he's up in the mountains."

Isshin swallowed his fears and turned on one booted heel, most likely running on autopilot. Urahara sighed and retrieved the saddles and bridles he had just put away.

x

"Stay with me for the night. I don't think you can make it down the mountain in this light."

It was a generous invitation. Ichigo accepted it with a soft smile; he loved how the wolf would say things like 'in this light', instead of 'in the dark'. Anything but the present description - the boring ways of describing things as they really are. Ichigo was sure the wolf wouldn't say: 'It's dark right now.' Instead he was fairly sure he would say: 'It's not quite light at the moment.'

He worried a little, that this was just a hazy dream and he would wake up any moment now to face the teasing taunts of the other village boys. He wanted to pinch himself repeatedly to see if he was truly awake. Still, it probably wouldn't be a good idea in front of the wolf. In any case, the wolf was kind to him. This was the start of a new friendship.

"How is it that you can talk and other animals can't?" The youth asked. "And do you have a name? What should I call you? I mean, I just thought that calling you 'The Wolf' might be a little strange, not to mention rude, although I've already christened you as The Wolf. Hey, you have a title now. But I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want you calling me 'The Boy', because that would totally not define me as me. At all. I mean, yeah, you know how they say we all have names for a reason? Just saying. Well, it's not really a saying everyone else uses, it's probably just me. And I just thought about it. I know this is probably really awkward for you as well. I mean, it is for me. Not that I don't like it. I do. It's just. It's hard to say, sort of."

The wolf chuckled.

He stopped himself by clapping both hands over his mouth in a sort of strangled fashion. Here he was, embarrassing himself like a total fool in front of someone he wanted to impress. And then a thought wormed its way into his mind. _Why_ on Earth was he trying to impress a wolf? But this wasn't just _any_ wolf. This was _the_ Wolf.

"Wow." Ichigo blurted out before he could stop his mouth from working. "I'm actually talking to a wolf. How amazing is that?"

"Super." The wolf agreed with him. "I'm happy to have placed such a a good impression on you."

"Please tell me this is real."

"This is real." The wolf repeated, and it seemed like he was smiling.

"So what's your name?" Ichigo asked tentatively, peeking between his fingers.

"My name is Stark."

x

I wrote this in the office today. For some reason I am so very happy, lol. :D

Thanks for all your reviews! A round of beer and marshmallow cookies for all~


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